In a recent discussion with a custom home builder and his client the question of picking the right French style antique limestone fireplace mantle has proven to be much tough to answer than previously though!

There was some focused around whether they should construct all seven full masonry fireplaces or have some antique stone mantle sit on top fire box inserts. As with anything there are pro’s and con’s. The builder thinks that solid masonry fireplaces will work much better with the antique fireplaces when an insert firebox is his preference for the master bedroom. As the debate went on we shared several past projects photos with the builder and client of both cases and near the end they were able to select that firebox type went where.

In today’s post we want to chow everyone the various design ideas and portfolio of images presented to the couple and their builder. There are so many great choices, but we want to know which firebox options and which fireplace mantle design ideas would be your pick.

A beautiful majestic limestone fireplace in the center of an old renovated French farmhouse

Reclaimed limestone fireplace with an over mantel

classic-Neolithic-living-room-antique-limestone-fireplace

The limestone wall cladding, fireplace and wood beams create an old world look into this living room

Beautiful mixture between the Old and The new in this French style living room

Simple carved antique fireplace in an authentic Provencal kitchen

French country house with an antique limestone fireplace

Beautiful interior design of an old restored castle with a majestic reclaimed limestone fireplace

Traditional, modern, antique reclaimed or rustic, these fireplaces prove that the hearth remains the heart of the home across border and throughout the centuries.

A mantel restored from antique French limestone, and fireplace tools from the Hearth Stone in a Beverly Hills Living Room decorated by Philip Hook and Sam Bradbury.

An old Provence style fireplace mantle reminisces of a bygone Napoleonic era of the South of France.

A New Jersey Client who has enlisted us in helping him orient, position, and install the most suitable 18th Century antique fireplace possible. Furniture was custom in North Carolina by an American Bespoke furniture maker.

A splendid 19th century Directories style limestone fireplace sits in this ‘Negligée’ Dutch-Gustavian Farmhouse ready to be lit up with a relaxing flame inside of its custom firebox hearth. Owners enjoy slouching back in their prized original Chesterfield leather seat.

With a majestic architectural elements such as this one in your formal living room there would be little need for any other competing focal point or rivaling conversational elements.

In a quantic world of hyper connectivity we seem to be most disconnected with past history, culture knowledge and tradition that has proceeded us. In our eternal pursuit of enlightenment we’ve neglected cosmic and ancestral wisdom that came before us. “If it’s old it must be obsolete”. If it’s alien to our understanding it must be unreverent to our quotidian bread. Oh how wrong we’ve been, how far from the light we’ve erred. We at Ancient Surfaces have fully embraced the loving ways of what preceded us, we built atop that wisdom with passion, love and foresight in order to provide you, our customers, with past and forgotten marvels that will impact you and your interior design like nothing else would.

The designer selected this antique Tudor style Limestone Fireplace Mantle by Ancient Surfaces has been surrounded with a tone complementing paneled walnut-clad walls of a Castle restoration in Hound Hall in the UK.

This Reclaimed Stone Surround we selected by Designer Louis Bruno for his personal home in 2008. This lichen filled ancient stone fireplace sits in a minimalistic style home that reminds us of the architecture of Alberto Campo Baeza.

With inspiration drawn from the owner’s love of France and French Architecture, this home design features reminiscent of centuries past, the builder architect and designer were all mindful of the unique needs of the residents. Modern amenities juxtaposed with ancient reclaimed and vintage elements are common although this property.

Guests of this home enjoy the serene location on the water where they feel in-tune with nature from the sweeping views from the home’s many large windows and patios. Built in a style reminiscent of early twentieth century Provence, this home is a picturesque escape for anyone looking to get away from the hectic city life.

Guests are greeted at the entryway by a beautifully crafted Ancient Limestone entryway that transports them out of Shady Canyon in Sothern California to the glorious days of Provence.

The designers continued this look through the incorporation of classic Brocante chandeliers and other design elements reminiscent of the 1800’s period. The views from every room look out onto the lake or the forests surrounding the home, making it a very private and natural experience. Other features of this home include a large kitchen with a gas stove and pantry. As well as a bedroom with a walk-in closet, master bath with separate shower and tub, in addition to classic furnishings that complete the look.

With its classic French style and modern amenities, this home is a fantastic example of constructing in tune with nature. Built directly on a hill top overseeing a golf course, it seamlessly blends its style with the natural surroundings of the area. Once inside, guests are never out of sight of the beauty that surrounds them. Combining classic French style with a Provence flair, the designers have created an atmosphere in this home to make this a dream house for anyone who visits it.

Another hard to believe reincarnations of this monumental and especially rare 12th century antique Fireplace Mantle that has a disputed provenance. Like many salvaged elements that have been acquired from other dealers and non-cataloged private estate auctions this 900 years old fireplace (one of the oldest that we’ve handled) had to be restored and reinforced so it can be rendered to code. It now peacefully sits in the private 50 acers estate of an anonymous Coloradoan Billionaire who cherishes family time above all else.

Another 12 to 13th century Mantle piece that has been salvaged from this private ruined manor back in 1985 awaiting with its other sisters the loving home that will house her once more.

Most probably the most famous home in America after the white house and Hearst Castle! The Doheny Mansion was built in the 1920’s and was home to more than 50 Hollywood blockbusters over the past 90 years. This national landmark (It’s actually a national park run by the California park rangers!) is estimated to be worth 2 Billion US Dollars.

This Empire style fireplace in this Italianate kitchen-living room first floor space was custom tailored for this home. The chairs and 1800’s stools are Spanish, and the light fixture was made by Florentine craftsmen.

For many years now, Ancient Surfaces has been blessed with World renowned stone fireplace commissions that will most definitely constitute the landmarks of tomorrow. We can only make that possible through the contributions and the patronage of our connoisseurs of clientele that will settle for nothing but the very best.

A solid stone mantle adds many factors of interest to a house. Providing not only a source of warmth, but style, beauty and value. Ancient surface’s antique custom designed fireplaces are guaranteed to make your home the place where everyone wants to be. It easily becomes the centerpiece of your house, drawing both friends and family together around its warm glare.

These stone fireplace design ideas from our past projects will inspire a space you’ll never want to leave. Let it rain snow and hail outside so our mantels can warm you up with style. There is nothing better than a cup of hot coco in front of a warm fire after a long day in the cold!

Our fireplaces are custom-designed to accommodate you and your loved ones. Thinking about having some peace of mind and a good read? Where else then around a stone state of the art fireplace.

Scroll through the different fireplace designs and let yourself fall in love in our stone mantels, guaranteed to keep you warm.

French Rustic mantel fireplace vignette in an exposed wood ceiling living room.

A French-Victorian mix design will throw your heart and mind into a wonderful world of “make believe” right in your own home.

A roaring fire warms up the living room, with green and white detailed throw pillow as a compliment to the glowing embers. Limestone Coats of Arms emblems, antique limestone flooring, renaissance painting and classical Provence furniture were all enlisted for this ‘job well done’ design.

A captivating antique limestone fireplace that features an over mantle or a “trumeaux” as it’s called in French. The fireplace back wall butts to the kitchen hood and stove on the other side, flanked by two classical French countryside reclaimed wooden doors.

This French heavy carved majestic fireplace is the focal point in this master bedroom.

Beautiful reclaimed French Fireplace Mantel from the South of France installed in a cozy living room.

Rustic Provence look. Each architectural element in this picture has a story of its own and has witnessed a different angle of our rich human history.

The Combination of antique chairs, basalt table and stone fireplace seem to just work flawlessly together. The various indoor plants next to the mantel look perfect in their weathered urns.

A simple and clean line Antique Fireplace Mantle with Over mantle by Ancient Surfaces.

Old World Mediterranean, Italian home decor with a wide open indoor outdoor setting.

A Beautiful Architectural Bedroom with an Italian Fireplace in a Laguna Beach Master Bedroom.

Installed ancient fireplace mantle in a french Provence style home. The Antique Kronos Limestone Blocks were chosen as the reclaimed wall stone cladding that covered the entire indoor-outdoor wall veneer of this beautiful French farmhouse cottage. To learn more about this unique product please visit this page here: www.AncientSurfaces.com/Antique-Flat-Wall-Stone-Cladding.html

Gorgeous, cozy Italian Villa lounge room with a fully carved Italian fireplace that makes you want to just sit there and marvel.

Hand carved French limestone fireplace mantel from the 17th Century. This small whimsical side fireplace nook makes you wonder how much attention to details has gone into the meticulous design of this beautiful and time honored estate.

Another inspiring Antique Italian fireplace that is marked by the use of the golden ratio in its carving centuries ago.

A beautiful 16th Century French fireplace with a sunning overmantle photographed during the renovation of this classical French castle.

Are you having problems coming up with the right design ideasfor your outdoor stone fireplace?

Do you feel like what’s out there on the market looks so cookie cutter and low quality that it could cheapen instead of enrich your backyard experience?

If you are hoping to include a unique looking stone fireplace into your wild outdoors you just might be in luck.

Installing a real elegant stone fireplacecould be a step in the right direction. Tired of the same ole copy paste Slam Depot stacked stone ‘fireplace kits’ that are “so easy you can install them yourself”?!

They are quite frankly the saddest thing to look at and are littered across the dot-com world that import all sorts of substandard goods guaranteed not to impress you nor enrich your outdoor living experience.

Poof! So glad we got that out of our system for a change. So now back to our regular dose of kumbaya and political correctness…

Here are some real Outdoor Stone Fireplace Masterpieces that deserve to be in your Backyard and should be worthy of setting the stage for your upcoming best memories you’ll be creating with your love ones.

Sometimes functional items are designed so beautifully that they blur the line between architecture and art. The stone fireplace surrounds in our collection are beautifully hand carved ancient works of art.
As the evenings growing colder, no wonder many of us start turning on the glow of their beloved fireplaces. Many of us think that it might be a little too late to remodel their fireplaces and replace them with the real deal. Well, think again! With some extra motivation fueled by your desire to enjoy your winter season in a European flair, you can have your own masterpiece.

Here are the top 10 most beautiful, inspiring, ancient and cozy fireplaces that maybe still within your grasp:

Our primal connection to art and fire have gone hand-in-hand ever since cavemen created art on the walls of caves by firelight. This mantel fireplace gives a feeling to be simultaneously ancient and modern.

The sculptural elements of this classic fireplace rival anything I saw in the castles of Europe or France! It makes you want to relax in front of the fire while listening to Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto Number 3 in G Major.” That music always makes me feel uplifted in spirit, and I think it fits the fireplace.

This splendid Italian 16th century stone fireplace mantle has been restored sold and shipped to the Americas were it was installed by a team of professional master masons that have perfected to installation process down to a science

This amazing fireplace was custom designed for the client and hand carved from stone. I would listen to Bach again, but this time it would have to be “Tocata and Fugue in D Minor,” a much heavier piece.

This stunning French limestone fireplace mantel was realized in the Provence style and was the main feature of this frugal French farmhouse in Provence.

This stunning French limestone fireplace mantel was realized in the Provence style and was the main feature of this frugal French farmhouse in Provence.

This simply designed French fireplace making tradition of the 18th and 17th centuries. Its classical simplicity speaks volumes about the period in which it was conceived.

Selecting the right piece of stone and choosing the direction of placement shows off a stunningly beautiful natural work of art. It’s an ancient piece of stone, yet it reads like a contemporary abstract painting with all the artistic carvings.

This is a unique Louis XV limestone fireplace from Provence dating back to the 17th century.

They say nothing lasts forever, but we all know that one can own a few items that may last for generations to come. No, we’re not talking about a girl’s best friend to quote Marline Monroe. Even though our stones can’t be worn on your wrists or fingers, they still can be a crowd pleaser none the less. Installing an antique limestone fireplace in your family room can be the one design element that everyone in your family agrees with and is comforted by especially when it starts raining or snowing outside.

Pedigree (History and Provenance) of the fireplace aside, what design elements one should consider when selecting a fireplace that may last you a lifetime in some cases?

You always need to keep in mind that your fireplace selection will have to be a permanent fixture in your home and is supposed to live through any design change your room or home will be going through in the future. What would you rather go for? A well carved fireplace or a simply hand carved one? Let’s consider the positive aspects of both choices and see how they may pertain to your taste buds.

Fully carved stone mantles:

When considering a fully hand carved limestone fireplace close your eyes and think of a complex and rich multi-layered ‘Taurasi’ wine blend from ‘Campania’ that’s been well aged in oak barrels.

What nuances would your eyes savor? Can you envision tasting the Southern Italian Baroque acanthus leaves free flowing on this mantle corbeled sides or the rich and velvety pallet of the sprawling and spiraling vined foliage that can grace the front face of your unique fireplace?

Can you imagine the glowing heat radiating from inside the stone built firebox of such a captivating mantle? The reflected shadow of the flame dancing on the medieval carved limestone coupled with the intoxicating sound on the flickering burning wood becoming one with the melody of slowly decanted bottle of Barolo from Piedmont…

If you picture yourself in that frame, allow yourself to be captured by an antique well carved limestone fireplace that’s been salvaged from centuries old Renaissance or Baroque castles by Ancient Surfaces.

A fully carved fireplace of that era will define the look of your entire room and anchor your whole house with an authentic design persona.

Simple carved Fireplace:

Simply carved fireplaces allow visual evenhandedness between styles, finish patina and shade of the room and the stone of the fireplace. In a simple fireplace the design focus shifts from the carving to the actual antique limestone itself as it becomes the predominant design feature of the mantel instead of its minimal carved elements.

When it’s simple it goes with everything else right? Well yes that is true, but one has to be careful that going with everything doesn’t turn into a disappearing act where the mantle itself totally blends with its environment in the same way a window frame blends with the wall.

Simple architectural fireplaces when realized symmetrically and when created and carved under the golden ratio and the golden mean will carry more of a creative punch than most of its other ornately carved counterparts. Minimalism when portrayed in well-defined and harmonic ratios, guarantees you a powerful visual output and a soothing organic feel that will satisfy your design vision for that space.

With a simple yet elegant antique hand carved fireplace you’ll be looking more at the architecture, structure and patina of the fireplace and how its various component simply integrate together with your space.

As a wise man once said: “the simplest explanation is usually the correct one.” William of Ockham (c. 1287–1347)

Only second to an outdoor limestone fountain, a fireplace is an architectural element that’s guaranteed to make your backyard the place where everyone wants to be. It easily becomes the focal point of an outdoor living space, drawing both friends and family together around its warm glitter.

An outdoor fireplace that’s hand carved out of limestone can turn a regular yard to an ‘Al Fresco’ living room. Adding a harmonious and exciting space for kids to hover over as they roast marshmallows over a rustic wood burning flame or relaxing with a glass of wine in the evening with friends and loved ones are some of the numerous mood and climate altering applications of any outdoor antique limestone fireplaces you’ll find at Ancient Surfaces.

Choosing a fireplace may seems like a daunting task until you contact us. It pays to work with a company that has 50 years of field experience in the art of fireplace design, making, reclaiming and installation. So if you’re dreaming of adding an outdoor fireplace to your yard here are the top 5 key things to consider beforehand:

Increase resale price: Studies like the CV report have shown the RIO or return on investment on both, outdoor and indoor fireplaces are the highest out of all other remodeling projects you can undertake in your home. If you are considering selling your home sometime in the future, an outdoor fireplace can be very beneficial at sale time. Accented with comfy outdoor living furniture, it will help potential buyers to easily imagine themselves in that space.

Select your burn- fireplace vs. fire pit: Built-in fire pit can be either contemporary or old world looking. Ironically, on many occasions, we’ve converted ancient rounded and rectangular wellheads into fire pits. Their lower height 20 to 22 inches allow them to be placed virtually anywhere in your backyard as they embrace your open space without any visual interruption.

Stone fireplaces are more majestic and monumental in nature. They’ll help you add an architectural presence to any given outdoor location. Offset your fireplace a few feet from a neighbor’s property wall will help you turn a major outdoor design minus into a plus. The fireplaces can be the same as the ones you are used to seeing inside villa style homes in Europe.

Wood vs Gas burning: You can always purchase a prefabricated firebox that range in price from a couple thousand dollars to brand name boxes that are double that figure. Your other option is to have a mason build you a wood/gas burning box from scratch. In both cases you’ll still need to stone clad or stone tile the return and chimney stack in a stone element that complement the stone fireplace mantle you are after.

Without going into your city ordinances and local construction codes on wood vs. gas burning fireplaces or debating the environmental impact of each option, we believe that from an aesthetic and design standpoint a wood burning fireplace offers a unique source of heat that warms people on so many levels while providing you with a mesmerizing audio-visual show that is like no other. In most cases, people settle for a dual Wood/gas burning firebox that offers its users a flexible solution, that is both, romantic and practical as the flames continue to burst out heat long after the logs has turned into cider.

Built-in versus freestanding: Installing an outdoor fireplace is a big architectural plus no matter how you look at it. However, before settling on a plan, think about how you envision yourself using the space. Do you have an open or roofed patio? Do you have an expanded opened-air space just a few step away from your pool of Jacuzzi that can be complemented with a freestanding fire pit?

Consider, but don’t be narrowed by your home’s architecture: The fire pit shown here from ancient surfaces has a lustrous, modern look yet fits in charmingly with any traditional old world looking home.

If you are having trouble imagining how a certain fireplace would look with your home, consider taking your search into the digital realm by starting a free Houzz profile and a Houzz idea book. Start piling in some of the hundreds of photo ideas we have parked in our Houzz database.

One good advice we could give you though, is to choose a stone chimney-piece you really enjoy looking at. Whether it’s the focus of your pool patio or centered on a side property wall, chances are you’ll hopefully live with it for a long time.